Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-02-05
GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION.
Almost all schemes of common scboo

rably linked, II not perfectly ldentl-
fed. in my thoughtithat have chosen
to speak of them together.
The very definition of English gram
mar-that it teaches how to speak and
write the English languag age correctly
clearly embraces the art of composition
under its second function. True it is
that composition signifies more than
mere grammatical accuracy-that it
comprehends beauty of ex preston and
logical arrangement as well-but these
latter are so greatly overshadowed by
the paramount Importance of the first,
that to separate the two subjects on
this ground must occasion a host of dis
advantages which no resulting benefits
can equalize.
have said that these two subjects
have been separated in teaching" but
this, it is observed, is something very
different from saying that they have
been taught. Iwish | could say this,
also, with as much truth, but my OBJ
servation has been that almost the only
teaching grammar receives is nlts-teach-
ing, and the reasons for this are quite
simple. and will suggest themselves al
most Immediately to those who have
| ever tried to teach it at all. The per-
nicious system of topical teaching which
is most conviently followed in almost
every other subject here proves both
inapplicable and inpracticable. yet
such has been the ruinous influence of
this false method that. in manner, it
has insinuated itself as we'll as it could
into the subject of grammar. too.
1t was a triumph of ingenuity when
parsing, analyzing and "diagramming'
were respectively invented. Each in
its turn was hailed as godsend and
| speedily utilized to the exclusion of all
other grammatical exercises.
l remember with profound regret
the incessant practice had in parsing,
while pupil, and the feeling of won
der that would sometimes creep over
me of what tiny bit there must be to
learn in this world that we must day in
and day out parse the" ''that,"
Tom" ''cat," until the very buzzing
of flies was a welcome relief to the
monotony.
| When in later life l exchanged the
studies of the pupil for those of the in
structor. found another system al
ready mapped out, and everybody jog
| ging along in a circular rut. Diagram
ming and analyzing had now become
the ruling passion. and any departure
| from them was looked upon as bold
presumption and rank hersey. Occa-
sionally some of my pupils, whom no
assurance that the rut ran somewhere
would content, Internationally clam
ored for broader field, but such clam
ors. by order of the higher powers,
were unceremouiously stitied.
| Thus the delusiOn that this practice
was the highway TO a mastery of the
English language grew upon them.
To be able to analyze and diagram
anv sentence was the goal, which. once
attained. meant literary distinction. or
something as near like it as they could
imagine. Scarcely moment could be
devoted to the correction of errors
in speech, and in most cases written
exercises were graded on the penman-
ship and the knowledge of facts alone.
That which they thought so worthy
of their own efforts, by natural pro-
cess became their standard for Judging
others. | should not wonder that had
Shakespeare, Milton, Macaulay. or any
other famous author been placed before
them and set TO analyzing complex
sentence. his numerous departures from
the stereotyped order would have
brought upon him glances of supercili-
Gus scorn or wondering pity.
Rut n is urorad tho nhiaot in all thiS
is to be discipline. Very well, grant
for the sake of argument that the
disciplinary virtue of these methods
are all that their champions claim for
them; is there not in all the sublime
range of human knowledge some one
thing, or some scores of things, but
combine this boasted discipline with
the importation of useful information:
If we can knock two apples with one
stone, why not do so? Must food b'
rendered unpalatable and indigestiblt
to train our stomachs to digest
Certainly not; yet how thoughtlessll
we disregard the reasoning of analogy
and crowd upon the mind-the III
tellectual stomach-a mass of noxiou
food that would have worried the min,
of Bacon himself to assimilate-if sucl
a thing be possible at all.
Grammar is generally acknowledge
| TO be the hardest subject to systematic
satisfactorily and to teach with beneti
cial results. 1t is so difficult to stee
| clear of the Scylla of mechanical rOu
tine on the one hand and the Charybdi
of vague generalities on the other. Bu
there is a safe middle way. and no cap
able. intellectual pilot ought to fail il
finding it. The trouble is, discourage
ment comes too early in the course: W
weary of constantly guardin" agains
the two dangers, and with feeling o
helpless dest tair, WE deliberately ceas
our efforts and take choice between tw
certain wrecks.
There must be a semblance of Safet
in this Scyllian rock that proves strong
lv alluring 10 the educatiOna! mar mel
We feel L certain degree Of security II
resting upon a system. no matter hO'
crude and barren such foundations ma
be- AT any rate we are Sstt'sd, and tina
, goes great way if We value ease AN
comfort.
! For this reason the Teaching OF ~rdn
4 mar has often been reduced to >y-i'
! matte farce. and candid teachers WI
admit the absence of practical result
There is an indiStinct yet real sens;
/ ton, figuratively speaking. of @raspIn
I at something in the dark and ever !
, vain.
\ IL is always embarrassing 10 folio
e criticism with suggestion, but the natul